azerbaijnis soliders murdered by AK

[michalst]

Is it true that Azerbaijanis soldiers that surrendered to AK at the Koszykowa street on the 1.august 1944 during the Warsaw Uprising where executed by Poles? Which Polish (AK ?) unit killed them? This Azer unit is not the same that was attached to Dirlewanger during the Uprising.

[David Thompson]

michalst -- Where did you get your information that the surrendered soldiers were killed?

[michalst]

"The cruel hunters" by Maclean. Page 178.

[David Thompson]

Thanks, michalst.

[Benoit Douville]

Michalst,

I have never heard of that story before, can you give us more specific info about the A.K. murdering Azerbaijanis soldiers who surrendered to them.

Regards

[Sergey]

I know that Wikipedia is not a reliable source but Azeri soldiers have been mentioned in the context of Wasraw uprising

Although the vast majority of insurgents in Warsaw were members of Home Army, there was a small number of fighters who weren't members of that organisation.
...
There was also a Slovakian 535th Home Army platoon under Lt. Stanko. It was composed mostly of Slovakians, Georgians, Armenians and Azeri, and suffered heavy casualties in the course of the uprising (up to 70%).

[Musashi]

Michał, I think it's a good idea to ask your question of this Polish forum:
http://www.dws.org.pl/index.php

[michalst]

Musashi:
Thanks for the link, do you know of other Polish forums that are about second world war?

Here is a link to the post on the Polish forum.
http://www.dws.org.pl/viewtopic.php?p=1257079#1257079

By the way it seems that Maclean used a book by Ready Lee "The Forgotten Axis: Germany's Partners and Foreign Volunteers in World War II" (1987) from which the incident is taken (seems to be from page 350). Someone have this book?

[LMA-17]

A book of Ballantine war series about Warsaw Uprising also included the incident. It said one Azeri escape from the massacre (only wore his pants). The Azeri unit itself probably belong from Bergmann battalion.

[Allen Milcic]

By the way it seems that Maclean used a book by Ready Lee "The Forgotten Axis: Germany's Partners and Foreign Volunteers in World War II" (1987) from which the incident is taken (seems to be from page 350). Someone have this book?

I own the book. On page 350, with reference to the Azeris, it states:

Most of the Azerbaijani troops were away, but a few of them were under siege at the barracks in Koszykowo Street. After several hours of sniping the local guerilla leader asked for their surrender, telling them that as they were not Germans they were not really the enemy. If they surrendered their weapons they could go free. The Azerbaijanis huddled in conference, knowing their chances were slim anyway, and agreed to give up. Once the mini-ceremony had taken place, the Poles slit the throat of every Azerbaijani, everyone but one enterprising soldier who hid in a closet and survived.

Ready does not cite a source, primary or otherwise, for this information.

Allen/

[michalst]

Did it say which Azeri unit this was? Or which Polish unit? Maybe some names of the commanders/soldiers involved? Dates?

if this Azeri unit was part of the Bergmann unit, what did it do in Warsaw? I thought that the Azeri unit from Bergmann (one bataillon if I'm not wrong) was part of the Dirlewanger. The SS Sonderkommando Dirlewanger was stationed somewhere else and was first moved to Warsaw on 4. or 5. of august.

[Allen Milcic]

Did it say which Azeri unit this was? Or which Polish unit? Maybe some names of the commanders/soldiers involved? Dates?

if this Azeri unit was part of the Bergmann unit, what did it do in Warsaw? I thought that the Azeri unit from Bergmann (one bataillon if I'm not wrong) was part of the Dirlewanger. The SS Sonderkommando Dirlewanger was stationed somewhere else and was first moved to Warsaw on 4. or 5. of august.

Hi michalst:

According to Ready, the Azeri unit was the 1st Battalion/818th Azerbaijani Regiment of the 17th Division (Heer). Aparently up to 40% of this division's troops were not German citizens prior to the war, and it included 2 Turkestani battalions, the Azeri battalion in question, a Russian cavalry detachment, a Volksdeutsche police battalion from Lublin, and it had a number of Poles serving in the 6 nominally German construction battalions. The division mostly performed sentry duties, though it had participated in a few minor anti-partisan sweeps in the surrounding countryside. (pages 348 and 349)

The date of the alleged massacre of the Azeri troops is listed in the book as August 1. The Polish unit commiting the massacre is not mentioned.

Best regards,
Allen/

[Allen Milcic]

Addendum: The Ready book lists 2 books on the Warsaw uprising in its bibliography; the information on the Azeris could have come from one or both:

1. Zagorski, Waclaw. Seventy Days: The Diary of the Warsaw Insurrection. Maidstone: George Mann, 1974.

2. Zawodny, J.K. Nothing but Honour: The Story of the Warsaw Uprising. London: Macmillan, 1978.

Best regards,

Allen/

[paratatruc]

The fact may be true, it was nonetheless one of the most stupid and borring book I have ever read
(The writers wrote something about the"Ukrainian-cossak renegades" of Kaminsky)

[Allen Milcic]

The fact may be true, it was nonetheless one of the most stupid and borring book I have ever read
(The writers wrote something about the"Ukrainian-cossak renegades" of Kaminsky)

Which book are you referring to paratatruc?